Paper Hearts
by A Moonless Sky
Summary: Mitsuko Nara wanted to live a simple life, be a simple ninja, die a simple death. Things never go as planned. What a drag. Konan/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

 _Illusion is needed to disguise the emptiness within._

 _~Arthur Erickson_

The enemy ninja were alerted to her presence. Of course they were; it's not like she was exactly trying to hide it, the lit cigarette in her hand attesting to the fact. They don't stand a chance anyway. It was unfortunate really; these ninja could have lived to see another day if only they had chosen a different path to travel. But alas, they travelled too close to the hideout and had to be eliminated. Leader's orders.

By observation, Mitsuko could tell they were young. A three man squad, genin team most likely. One was probably recently promoted to chuunin, the exams had been recently after all. This was probably their first mission without their jonin instructor. It's a shame, killing the young ones always is.

Taking another drag of her lit cigarette, Mitsuko puts it out before grabbing three kunai from her pouch. One part of her brain is screaming at her, begging her not to do it, they're only children, they have families, they're only _children_. She's learned how to silence that part of her brain long ago.

Ignoring the sick feeling in her stomach, she takes aim and launches the kunai. The children try to move, to dodge, but find that they can't move their bodies at all. Of course they couldn't. As soon as Mitsuko let go of the kunai, her shadows raced towards the children, locking them in place.

One, a girl with brown pigtails, tries to scream, but doesn't have the time. The sound of the kunai hitting their marks makes Mitsuko want to vomit.

 _Childrenchildrenchildrenchildrenchildrenchildren._

She wishes she could just leave the bodies there and let it be done, but she can't. The bodies have to be relocated. Killing the children would be pointless if other ninja were to look for them and come to this exact location.

Mitsuko gets a better look at the children as she jumps down from her perch on one of the surrounding trees and walks towards them lazily. The girl with brown pigtails couldn't be older than thirteen, there was a blonde haired boy who still had baby fat surrounding his face, and the chuunin boy had dark spiky hair that made Mitsuko's heart stop for a second before she comforted herself with the knowledge that this boy was too old to be _him_.

Regardless, her relief is shortly lived. She'll be seeing these children later in her nightmares, she always does after all, especially ones that hail from the particular village that their headbands identify.

It's always harder killing ninja from her home village. With other villages, she can delude herself. After all, when she was still in the village, it wasn't uncommon for her to have to kill foreign ninja. But when they come from her village, there's no lying to herself.

No, when they come from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, there's a chance that she knows the ninja. That she knows their parents, their family, that she held them as babies, that she smiled at them in the street, that they could be a member of her own family. It's her own special sort of self-torture to search their faces for something she recognizes.

With a few hand signs, three black scrolls appear in her hand. Though she wants to be delicate, to be gentle with the children she just killed, to cry over their bodies, she can't be. There's no telling who's watching. Instead, she lets out a noise of frustration at having to deal with the bodies.

Her movements are lazy and relaxed as she goes through the motions of sealing the bodies in the scrolls, but her heart is aching. When the bodies are gone from sight, it's a relief, but her conscious is still very heavy. It will be until the day she dies.

Bringing her thumb to her mouth, she bites it, drawing blood. She rolls up one of the oversized sleeves to the cloak she wears and drags her thumb along one of the seals on her skin. A sleek black cat appears in front of her immediately and she puts the three scrolls on the ground in front of it.

"Bring these a mile south of the border of Konoha, undo the seal and bring the scrolls back to me. Make sure not to be caught." The black cat nods once in understanding before taking each scroll in its mouth and swallowing it. The animal is gone in a flash and Mitsuko wipes the blood from her forearm before rolling down the oversized sleeve.

She lazily begins walking back to the base, taking a cigarette from her leg pouch and lighting it, breathing in the comforting nicotine.

"Excellent job Mitsuko-san." Pein says approvingly as said woman stands before him, head bowed respectfully and just having completed her report.

"Thank you Pein-sama." She replies, raising her head to meet the leader's purple, ringed eyes.

"Take some time to relax, you've earned it. I will summon you when your services are needed." Bowing her head in respect once more, Mitsuko turns and exits the room at her signature slow, lethargic pace.

"Konoha's Seal Mistress strikes again I see." The feeling of snakes slithering around her body is a tell as to who is talking to her, and it's one of the last people Mitsuko wants to associate with.

"I never did like that name." She replies neutrally, turning her attention to the white skinned man behind her. Orochimaru tends to never give the girl a moment of peace. Mitsuko has only been a member for around a year and a half now, but she's known the man much longer than that of course. They hail from the same village after all.

"But it's a well-deserved one. You learned a lot from my old friend after all." The thought of a certain white haired Sannin causes her heart to ache, but Mitsuko knows better than to let her emotions show. This is what Orochimaru does. He analyzes her, tries to play mental games with her, to find an opening so he could exploit it. He's a snake waiting to strike.

But she's had years of training keeping her emotions to herself. To defend herself against people trying to play mental games with her; one of her best friends was an expert at it after all. She wouldn't crack, she couldn't, too much was on the line for her to give into the snake standing in front of her.

"My only regret is that I couldn't take more from him." The ninja says, settling her face into her familiar condescending, taunting expression, a small smirk on her face. A mask, one she's had to create to make it through the life she lives. "Good day Orochimaru-san."

As she's walking away, she feels the snakes slithering after her. When she turns the corner, out of the man's sight, she catches the creatures in her shadows and crushes them. Mitsuko hates snakes.

Mitsuko's room is the most isolated, tucked away in one of the corners of the base. She likes it that way. It's defendable.

Countless traps surround her room from wall to wall, not one crevice missed. Sleeping in the same vicinity of S-ranked missing nin doesn't allow for peace of mind. Without her traps she could be killed, or worse, any day. But as her epithet says, seals are Mitsuko's specialty. They cover every inch of her room and coat the door. Only she can enter, a drop of blood to one of the seals on her arm gives her access.

Walking in, a ball of white fluff launches itself at her. She allows a small smile on her face at the excitable animal. Her one comfort, one of the few things she brought from home, a nin-dog. On most missions she takes the animal with her, but this one was close so there was no need. Besides, the dog is safe in her room.

"I'm back Haru." The girl says, sadness tinting her voice.

Haru was a gift from an old friend. The runt of the litter.

 _His white fur will be the perfect contrast to your black hair and eyes! The checkerboard combo!_

Mitsuko pushes the memory from her mind the minute it rears its ugly head. That was a different time, no use letting ghosts haunt the present. It was a necessity. An order.

Putting the dog down, Mitsuko walks to the chest she keeps along the wall. After undoing the seal, she grabs the bottle of sake out and takes a seat at her desk, not bothering to grab a cup. The taste of alcohol wasn't her favorite, but after killing three kids, she needs it.

She wouldn't dare drink to the point of being unable to think and fight at full capacity, but the burning of the alcohol felt nice, comforting.

A soft knock on her door causes her to sigh. Only one person was allowed access to her door, and that person coming meant Pein was summoning her.

When she opens it, Konan is standing there of course. Out of the members of the Akatsuki, Mitsuko liked the woman in front of her the most. And by like, Konan was the least likely to try and murder her, and it was much appreciated.

"Pein-sama has summoned you." The woman says simply, leaving no room for questions.

"So much for relaxing." Mitsuko complains, but steps out of her room regardless, sealing her door. The women walk together, keeping a comfortable distance between them. Neither was very sociable so the walk was silent.

Konan leads them to the entrance to the base, Mitsuko notices Orochimaru is already there. He gives her a look of approval. Killing his snakes was apparently a good thing.

Kisame and Sasori were also already present. Nothing was said, so the ninja silently took a spot next to the puppeteer, curiosity filling her.

"A new member has arrived." Pein says. Mitsuko's curiosity only increases at the news. A new member, someone else to watch out for, someone else to report about.

It takes all her self-control to keep her face expressionless when the new member walks through the entrance. The news spread fast when the Uchiha clan was massacred. Mitsuko tried not to think too much about the Uchiha's she was familiar with.

"Itachi Uchiha." Orochimaru says, the pleasure in his voice evident. The Uchiha prodigy. He killed every member of his clan except his little brother. The thought of doing such a thing made Mitsuko feel sick.

The red eyes of the Sharingan user flit over each of them, coming to a stop on Mitsuko. She's careful not to look at his eyes. Was he a plant? Was his mission similar to hers? Too many questions and no answers. Not having answers made the girl anxious. Not to mention having the Uchiha here made her job harder if he wasn't a plant.

She'd have to be more careful.

"First a Nara and now an Uchiha." A deep voice from inside the puppet observes, amused.

"Can I leave now?" Mitsuko asks. Though she projects boredom, she needs alone time to think about her next step. Itachi was an unplanned variable and a very dangerous one.

"Very well." Pein concedes and Mitsuko walks away, slouched and unhurried with a million thoughts racing through her head.

What a drag.

 **A/N: Yadda yadda, I don't know what to put here because it's almost 3am and I'm tired. Enjoy, don't enjoy, whatever. Give me some feedback please, I'm in desperate need of feedback. Happy New Year.**


	2. Chapter 2

_That which does not kill us, makes us stronger._

 _~Friedrich Nietzsche_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

It's silent. Not a natural silence though, not a serene silence. There are no birds chirping, no bubbling river, no wind blowing through the trees. Everything is still. It's silent.

Mitsuko stands as still as a statue in the center of a large clearing, surrounded by dozens of slain shinobi. Their blood paints the greenery a deep crimson. She hates the color.

One man rises. Mitsuko's eyes flit over to him, bored, uninterested. Seeing her complete lack of any emotion, her completely dismissive air, her 'killing your friends took nothing more than a flick of my wrist' attitude, he snaps.

His eyes take on a hint of insanity, of raw berserker fury. It's a look she's seen too many times to count. She doesn't allow herself to feel regret.

The shinobi only takes two steps before her shadow lashes out, almost too fast for even the trained eye to follow. Mitsuko sees the flash of panic in the man's eyes, fear overtaking the blind fury.

No regret.

The thin black shadow races up his body and wraps itself around his neck. One twitch of her finger and a sickening crack resonates through the once more silent clearing.

No. Regret.

"Once again your work never fails to impress Mitsuko-san."

"Thank you Leader-sama."

As a Nara, Mitsuko is intimately acquainted with the darkness. She lives in it, takes comfort in it. However, there's a line. Nara children are taught from a young age never to cross the line, never to give the darkness power over you, never push yourself too far, never lose yourself in your shadow. The darkness is a friend to the Nara's yes, but it is darkness nonetheless, one slip up could lead to damage beyond repair.

Not physical damage of course, mental damage, _spiritual_ damage. Much, _much_ more dangerous. There's a barely present line when one manipulates _shadows._ Shadows are tied to the spirit, and the spirit is a dangerous thing to mess with indeed. It's easy to lose one's self in the shadows.

It's why family and friends are so cherished in the Nara clan. Those are the people who help you when the darkness gets too much. When you get lost in your own shadow. They pull you back from its grasp, show you the light again.

Mitsuko no longer has anyone to show her the light. And being a member of the Akatsuki is continuously forcing her to push past her limits. Not a good combination in the slightest.

"I am one with my shadow, my shadow is not me. I am one with my shadow, my shadow is not me. I am one with my shadow, my shadow is not me." Mitsuko chants to herself, eyes staring straight ahead but seeing nothing but black. Cuts line her arms, legs, and torso; some have begun to scab over, but the majority are still dripping blood.

"I am one with my shadow, my shadow is not me." It's a chant that many Nara use to remind themselves that though they are one with their shadow, they are still their own individual person. It helps them focus, to come back from the darkness.

 _You killed them._ It's her voice, yet not at the same time. It's more sinister, more bloodthirsty. _All those children. Children just having started their life. One day_ _ **he**_ _will be one of those children._

"I am one with my shadow, my shadow is not me." Mitsuko tries to block it out, to will the voice away but it's never that simple.

 _Ah but I am you, no matter how much you try and deny it._

"I am one with my shadow, my shadow is not me."

 _All that blood. Humans contain so much blood, it looks so delectable. Don't you just_ _ **love**_ _the color?_

"I am one with my shadow, my shadow is not me."

Mitsuko is in for a long night.

"It is rare to see you outside of your quarters Mitsuko-san." A deep voice comments thoughtfully as the woman enters the 'living room'. It's the center of the base and has one sofa and three chairs. Not very homely.

"The same can be said about you Sasori-san." She replies lazily, taking a seat in the chair farthest from the puppet master.

Excluding Konan and Leader, Sasori is the least likely to make an attempt on her life despite hos connection to Orochimaru. Well, she's not so sure about Itachi yet. He hasn't triggered any alarms thus far, he's quiet, keeps to himself, much like her.

Still, he did murder his entire family save his little brother. Just the thought of trying to figure out that mess gives Mitsuko a headache, the last thing she needs after her breakdown.

"Were you familiar with the Uchiha boy before you left the village?" Sasori questions. He wants information, anything useable to make his puppets defendable against Itachi. The puppet master is smart; Mitsuko gives him that. In another world the pair might have been friends.

"Everyone in my village was familiar with the _infamous_ Uchiha prodigy." Mituko comments offhandedly, dragging out the word infamous sarcastically. "I never got the chance to work with him personally. A shame."

Mitsuko knew about Itachi the moment the extent of his abilities was discovered. Everyone did. He was a commonly discussed topic amongst the ANBU. From what the Nara gathered he too became an ANBU captain not long after she defected.

"Maybe Leader-sama will pair the two of you together, the two of you obviously have much in common." The puppet master suggests thoughtfully. It's something Mitsuko herself has considered and dismissed.

"I work better alone, Leader-sama knows that. Besides, Juzo is also in need of a partner. That pairing would no doubt be more advantageous." Mitsuko replies lazily.

"Kakazu is also in need of a partner." Sasori points out and Mistuko scoffs.

"Itachi is too valuable to be placed with Kakazu. I have no doubt of the boy's abilities but no one can really be a match to an immortal." Their immortal comrade is notorious for killing his partners. He's been through three so far.

"You make a valid point." Sasori concedes. "You don't think you could be a match for Kakazu?"

Mitsuko smirks. Trying to get her to openly admit her own weaknesses, he has guts.

"Let's hope I never have to find out." She replies, avoiding the question. "Well, it's been a delight talking to you as always Sasori-san, but I think I've had enough social interaction for one day."

"You should come out of your room more often Mitsuko-san, it's nice to have a logical conversation with someone once in a while."

More like he wants more opportunities to scope out weaknesses.

"I'll consider it."

Mitsuko feels the eyes on her as she lazily saunters back to her room. Not Sasori's eyes, no, the eyes of her new comrade. It seems the interest goes both ways then.

 **A/N: I have no excuse for me absence other than laziness and having no motivation to write. Hope you enjoyed, give me feedback!**


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